A coronavirus infection can occur as a result of your work. People whose jobs include a lot of social contact are at increased risk. That means people like teachers, healthcare workers and employees in caring settings such as addiction aid and youth work.

If you caught COVID-19 and you work in an area like this, you should apply to have it recognized as an occupational illness (Berufskrankheit). Once that has happened, the accident insurer responsible (usually the relevant occupational insurance association (Berufsgenossenschaft)) will determine whether your case meets the medical and legal requirements for an occupational illness.

If it does, you are entitled to extensive benefits from statutory accident insurance. These include treatment, rehabilitation, financial benefits such as payments for injured parties and insured people’s pensions, home help, adaptations in the workplace, further training and retraining in a different area of work.

If you have questions about what you are entitled to, you can approach the relevant occupational insurance association.

Further information about occupational illness (Berufskrankheit) is available from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the occupational insurance associations (Berufsgenossenschaften).

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